This hosta 'Guacamole' was purchased from the farmers market a couple of months ago and planted in a fairly shady position in my garden. It has recently started looking quite sickly with rusty red markings on the leaves. I have many other hostas ranging in age from 25 years to a few months and have never seen this problem before. As far as I know there are no existing soil problems in the area, which is average to rocky with a layer of old barkmulch. The plants currently growing nearby are some weedy self planted lady ferns, a medium sized royal fern & some dwarf sarcococca moved there from elsewhere a year ago, and two new clematis vines planted around the same time as the hosta. One clematis has a few leaves which are a bit brownish (possible spider mites) but is otherwise very green and lush. All the other plants seem very healthy. Does anyone know what would cause this? Is it a disease, insects, or environmental problem? Should I discard this plant before it can infect my other hostas? Could it have caught some disease from the clematis vines.
